Virginia Postrel: The power of glamour

http://www.ted.com In a timely talk, cultural critic Virginia Postrel muses on the true meaning, and the powerful uses, of glamour -- which she defines as any calculated, carefully polished image designed to impress and persuade.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Virginia
• Postrel
• TED
• TEDtalks
• talks
• Beauty
• Business
• Culture
• Entertainment
• Illusion
• Marketing
• Performance
• Politics

[LegendSaber]

If you feel TED is "telling you how to think," then your thoughts must be very weak indeed. If it'll make you feel better, imagine she's adding "in my opinion" to every statement she makes.

Also remember that TED isn't about spreading information, it's about spreading ideas. Sometimes this involves facts, sometimes opinion, sometimes entertainment. If you don't like it, don't watch. Not so difficult a concept to grasp.

[MankindCartoons]

like the government glamorizing the war on terror.

[crudhousefull]

If I didn't know that this person was trying to be glamorous, I'd've thought that she was a hobo or some teen kid trying to fit into her mom's old clothes...

[crudhousefull]

@LegendSaber Ummm...they're not spreading ideas. It's the memes that have taken control of their hosts and are propagating themselves... Haven't you been listening!?

[te2rx]

This is a great talk that puts a solid definition on something that we are exposed to every day in every artistic medium. I came out of it better able to understand (e.g.) films, photography and music, and better able to deconstruct/criticize marketing & advertising.

The 33% thumbs down I imagine comes from those who see the video title, hear her abrasive voice, and downvote based on an ignorant, preconceived notion of what this talk is going to be.

[benzlikeawillow]

Her pants are seriously lacking in the Glamour..

[dylanlawless1]

fuck lasted till 2:11 fail on this one Ted

[pirenne]

i like itm i study graphic design and its quite useful for me, i guess becase I want i God wants, to become a producer, not the opposite, the consumer...

[m0r1arty]

This is a process of telling people to become consumers - it isn't intellectual whatsoever.

An arts tutor at a primary school can do a better job than this.

[forgotmypassword3]

glamour today is a market from which many buy words, colors, clothes and people, and believe what they have is everything. It's a filler, a cover, part of the of is aesthetics vs reality, and the often dangerous combination of the two. I like my world real and solid, even if it's more work than pretty paper and fancy words. There's more than meets the eye. I keep trying to post this, but I keep accidentally insulting people. Sorry. Please don't take offense to anything.